Casket floral spray holder

ABSTRACT

A floral spray holder for mounting on the head panel of caskets wherein the holder includes a support block for mounting on the head panel and a pair of prongs pivotly mounted on the support block. The prongs are adapted to engage a block of styrene material supporting a floral spray to prevent the floral spray from falling off the casket. The prongs have elongated apertures with pivot pins fixedly mounted on the block disposed in the apertures. Each of the prongs has a cam surface engageable with and slideable on an adjacent shoulder portion of the support block. The prongs have notches formed therein adjacent to cam surfaces which are engageable with the shoulder portions when the prongs are rotated to the open position whereupon the prongs guided by the elongated apertures slide downwardly on the pivot pins so that the notch becomes engaged with the shoulders to lock the prongs in the open position for mounting a floral spray thereon.

United States Patent 1191 Bochinski July 3, 1973 CASKET FLORAL SPRAY HOLDER [76] lnventor: Edmund J. Bochinskl, 2379 Corbin ABSTRACT Avenue New Bmon Conn 06053 A floral spray holder for mounting on the head panel [22] Filed: May 5, 1971 of caskets wherein the holder includes a support block for mounting on the head panel and a pair of prongs pi- [21] App! (L491 votly mounted on the support block. The prongs are adapted to engage a block of styrene material support- [52] US. Cl 248/218, 248/293, 3 11/125 ing a floral spray to prevent the floral spray from falling [51] Int. Cl A47g 7/00 off the casket. The prongs have elongated apertures [5 8] Field of Search 248/278, 291 293, with pivot pins fixedly mounted on the block disposed 248/294, 308; 21 1/125 in the apertures. Each of the prongs has a cam surface engageable with and slideable on an adjacent shoulder [5 6] References Cited portion of the support block. The prongs have notches UNITED STATES PATENTS formed therein adjacent to cam surfaces which are en- 3 289 989 12/1966 Ferenz 248 294 x gageable with the Shoulder. pmtions when the pwngs 8351992 11/1906 Truax 248/293 are rotated to the whereup Pmngs 3,592,424 7/1971 l-largrave 248/278 guided by the ekmgated apertures Slide dwnwardly 2,788.597 4/1957 Michel 248/27.8 the Pivot P 80 that the notch becomes engaged with 3,208,701 9/1965 Erickson 248/27.8 the shoulders to lock the prongs in the open position Primary Examiner-William l-l. Schultz Att0rneyDouglas W. Wyatt for mounting a floral spray thereon.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CASKET FLORAL SPRAY HOLDER This invention relates to floral spray holders for caskets and more particularly to a casket floral spray holder for mounting a floral spray supported by a conventional styrofoam block on a casket.

Because of the smooth surface of the head and foot.

panels of caskets there has been a problem of securing a floral spray securely thereon so that the floral spray does not slide off and thereby disturb the decorum of final services.

It is an object of this invention to provide a casket floral spray holder that provides a sure support for floral sprays.

It is an object of this invention to provide such a holder that may be easily mounted on a casket, is convenient and effective in use and is relatively economical to manufacture.

It has now been found that the foregoing objects and other advantages are provided in a floral spray holder for mounting on a panel of a casket wherein the holder includes a support for mounting on the panel and a plurality of prongs pivotly mounted on the support. The prongs have elongated apertures with pivot pins fixedly mounted on the support disposed therein. Each of the prongs has a cam surface engageable with and slideable on an adjacent shoulder portion of the support. The prongs have notches formed therein adjacent the cam surfaces, the notches being engageable with the shoulder portions when the prongs are rotated to the open position whereby the prongs guided by the elongated apertures slide downwardly on the pivot pins so that the notches become engaged with the shoulders thereby locking the prongs in the open position for mounting a floral spray thereon. Accordingly the user has his hands free to place the floral spray on the holder in a convenient and dignified manner. In addition the mounting of the holder on the casket eliminates the possibility of misplacing the holder.

The holder may be mounted on either the head or the foot panels of the casket. The holder may be mounted on any type casket including full couch, half couch and caskets made of wood, metal or those that are cloth covered. However, desirably the holder is mounted centrally on the head panel at a point adjacent the foot panel. Each of the prongs is generally L-shaped with an elongated blade portion and a base portion extending therefrom. The cam surface on each of the prongs is provided on the base portion on the end opposite to the blade portion. The elongated apertures are provided in the base portions generally between the blade portions and the cam surfaces. Each one of the cam surfaces is generally semi-circular being defined by a radius drawn generally from the center of the pivot pin when the pin is position at the outer end of the elongated aperture when the prongs are closed. The notches are provided on one side of the base portions generally in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the elongated apertures.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the claims, and the drawings appended hereto wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of a casket with a floral spray retained on the casket by the casket floral spray holder of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the casket illustrating the floral spray holder of this invention with the floral spray removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 with the addition of the usual styrofoam block used to support the floral spray;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the casket floral spray holder of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the prongs illustrated in the closed position;

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is illustrated a casket 10 having the floral spray holder of this invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, mounted thereon. The casket 10 is conventional and has the usual hinged head panel 14 and foot panel 16 mounted thereon. The floral spray holder 12 is supported centrally on the head panel 14 adjacent to the edge thereof contiguous with the foot panel 16.

The mounting of the floral spray holder 12 on the head panel 14 may be accomplished by designing the head panel 14 in the manner illustrated in detail in FIG. 3 or the floral spray holder may be attached to the usual head panel 14 by conventional fasteners. Thus the floral spray holder 12 of this invention may be used with conventional head panels 14 or with specially adapted head panels designed specifically to mount the holder 12 in an advantageous manner.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the casket floral spray holder 12 has a support block 20 of metal or other suitable material. A pair of parallel elongated slots, generally designed by the reference numerals 22 and 24 are formed in the support block 20. At opposite ends of each slot 22 and 24, cavities 22a and 24a are formed in the block 20 and extend through the block 20 from the top surface 20a to the under surface 20b. A pair of oppositely extending prongs 26 and 28 are pivotly supported by means of pivot pins 30 and 32 mounted on the block 20 within the cavities 22a and 24a. The prongs 26 and 28 are formed with blade portions 34 and 36 and with base portions 38 and 40 from which the blade portions 34 and 36 extend generally at right angles forming L-shaped prongs 26 and 28. Elongated apertures 42 and 44 are provided in the base portions 38 and 40 and have the pivot pins 30 and 32 disposed therein thereby pivotly mounting the prongs 26 and 28 on the block 20. This construction allows for movement of the prongs 26 and 28 relative to the pivot pins 30 and 32 and the block 20 in order to provide for the locking and unlocking of the prongs in the open position in the manner described hereinafter.

In order to hold the prongs 26 and 28 in the desired position relative to the pivot pins 30 and 32, the base portions 38 and 40 are advantageously designed with cam surfaces 50 and 52 which are generally arcuate. The cam surfaces 50 and 52 are engagable with and slide on shoulders 54 and 56 formed in the support block 20 adjacent to the under surface 20b.

When the prongs 26 and 28 are not in use, they are pivoted into a flat or closed position, illustrated in FIG. 6, where they are conveniently disposed out of the way with the blade portions 34 and 36 disposed in elongated groove portions 22b and 24b of the slots 22 and 24. As the prongs 26 and 28 are pivoted into the closed position, the sliding engagement of the cam surfaces 50 and 52 with the shoulders 54 and 56 causes the prongs 26 and 28 to be positioned so that the pivot pins '30 and 32 are disposed in the lower or outer ends of the elongated apertures 42 and 44 as viewed in FIG. 6.

When it is desired to move the prongs 26 and 28 from the closed position illustrated in FIG. 6 to the open position illustrated in FIG. 5, the prongs 26 and 28 may be manually pivoted from one position to the other. Conveniently the slots 22 and 24 have finger grooves 220 and 240 so that the blade portions 34 and 36 may be readily grasped by the fingers of the user. During this opening motion, the cam surfaces 50 and 52 slide on the shoulders 54 and 56 until notches 64 and 66 provided in the base portions 38 and 40 adjacent the cam surfaces 50 and 52 move to a position adjacent the shoulders 54 and 56 whereupon the prongs 26 and 28 slide downwardly due to their own weight whereby the notches 64 and 66 become engaged with the shoulders 54 and S6 locking the prongs 26 and 28 in the open position illustrated in FIG. 5. The elongated apertures 42 and 44 thus allow the prongs 26 and 28 to slide downwardly so that the pivot pins 30 and 32 become positioned in the upper end of the slots 34 and 36 as viewed in FIG. 5. Accordingly, the prongs are retained in the open position shown in FIG. due to their own weight, and rotation about the pivot pins 30 and 32 is prevented because of the engagement of the notches 64 and 66 with the shoulders 54 and 56 of the block 20.

With the prongs 26 and 28 locked in the open position, a block 70 of plastic material such as a styrofoam may be readily forced on to the prongs 26 and 28 in order to support a floral spray mounted on the block 70 in the usual manner. When it is desired to return the prongs 26 and 28 to the closed position, the block 70 of styrofoam is first removed. T 0 move the holder 12 into the closed position each prong 26 and 28 must be manually lifted upwardly in the direction of the arrow 71 so that the notches 64 and 66 become disengaged from the shoulders 54 and 56 allowing the prongs 26 and 28 to be pivoted about the pins 30 and 32 back into the closed position illustrated in FIG. 6.

When the prongs 26 and 28 are in the open position in spaced relationship the floral spray placed thereon is held in a fixed position and cannot rotate out of the desired set position. The locking of the prongs in the open position conveniently allows the user to place the floral spray thereon in a dignified manner without fumbling with the prongs to keep them in a vertical position.

The support block 20 may be mounted on a head panel by conventional fasteners securing the support block 20 to the head in the desired position. Thus the holder 12 of this invention may be used with conventional caskets having the usual head panel. The head panel 14 may be specifically designed for use with the floral spray holder 12, as illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the support block 20 is fixedly mounted in a cavity 74 formed in the head panel 14. In order to conceal the floral spray holder 12 when not in use, a sliding cover 76 is moveably mounted on the head cover 14 in a complementary configured passage 78 formed in the head cover 14. The holder 12 may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable materials.

It will be understood that the foregoing description with the details of exemplary structure is not to be construed in any way to limit the invention, but that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A floral spray holder for mounting on a panel of a casket wherein said holder includes a support for mounting on a casket panel, a pair of prongs pivotly mounted on said support, said prongs having elongated apertures formed therein, pivot pins fixedly mounted on said support and disposed in said elongated apertues, each of said prongs being formed with a cam surface, said cam surfaces being engageable with and slideable on an adjacent shoulder provided by said support, said prongs having notches formed therein adjacent said cam surfaces, said notches being engageable with said shoulders when said prongs are rotated to the open position whereby said prongs guided by said elongated apertures slide downwardly on said pivot pins and said notches become engaged with said shoulders thereby locking the prongs in the open position for mounting a floral spray thereon, said pair of prongs being rotatable in opposite directions when moved to the open position providing spaced generally alligned I fixed support prongs for receiving a floral spray, and

wherein each of said prongs are generally L-shaped with an elongated blade portion and with a base portion extending from said blade portion and wherein said cam surface on each of said prongs is provided on said base portion on the end opposite to said blade portion and wherein said elongated aperture is provided in said base portion generally between said blade portion and said cam surface and wherein said support has a pair of generally parallel spaced slots for receiving said prongs when in the closed position.

2. The floral spray holder of claim 1 wherein said cam surface is generally semi-circular defined by radius drawn generally from the center of said pivot pin' positioned at the outer end of said elongated aperture when said prongs are in the closed position.

3. The floral spray holder of claim 2 wherein said notch is provided in said base portion generally in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said elongated aperture.

4: 4- aa a 

1. A floral spray holder for mounting on a panel of a casket wherein said holder includes a support for mounting on a casket panel, a pair of prongs pivotly mounted on said support, said prongs having elongaTed apertures formed therein, pivot pins fixedly mounted on said support and disposed in said elongated apertues, each of said prongs being formed with a cam surface, said cam surfaces being engageable with and slideable on an adjacent shoulder provided by said support, said prongs having notches formed therein adjacent said cam surfaces, said notches being engageable with said shoulders when said prongs are rotated to the open position whereby said prongs guided by said elongated apertures slide downwardly on said pivot pins and said notches become engaged with said shoulders thereby locking the prongs in the open position for mounting a floral spray thereon, said pair of prongs being rotatable in opposite directions when moved to the open position providing spaced generally alligned fixed support prongs for receiving a floral spray, and wherein each of said prongs are generally L-shaped with an elongated blade portion and with a base portion extending from said blade portion and wherein said cam surface on each of said prongs is provided on said base portion on the end opposite to said blade portion and wherein said elongated aperture is provided in said base portion generally between said blade portion and said cam surface and wherein said support has a pair of generally parallel spaced slots for receiving said prongs when in the closed position.
 2. The floral spray holder of claim 1 wherein said cam surface is generally semi-circular defined by radius drawn generally from the center of said pivot pin positioned at the outer end of said elongated aperture when said prongs are in the closed position.
 3. The floral spray holder of claim 2 wherein said notch is provided in said base portion generally in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said elongated aperture. 